Safety



(No Model.) 4 T. J. HOLMES.

SAFETY APPLIANGE FOR STAMPING AND OTHER MACHINES. No. 404,624.. PatentedJune 4, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. HOLMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR STAMPING OR OTHER MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,624, dated June 4,1889.

Application filed August 9, 1888. Serial No. 282,306. (No model.)

To ail whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. HOLMES, of Chicago, Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances forStamping or other Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide for stamping or other machines,to which the material to be operated upon is fed by hand, suitableguards or appliances whereby the hand of the operator is forced out ofthe way of the moving parts of the machine without injury, and in timeto prevent the hand being caught. I have selected, for the purpose ofillustration and description, a soappress as a type of machines to whichmy appliances are peculiarly adapted.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown in perspective a soap-press andmy safety device applied thereto.

In said drawing, 1 represents the base of the machine, 2 the table, 3 abracket in which is formed vertical guides for a head-block or plunger4, the latter carrying upon its lower end a die 5 adapted to enter amold 6, which latter is secured upon the table 2, and in which mold ablock of soap is intended to be placed. In this example the plunger anddie are operated by means of aWorking-lever 7, having a foot-pedal 8,which is depressed by the operator to force the plunger down, and aweight 8 holds the plunger normally in its uplifted position.

In operating such a machine the attendant (usually a boy) places theblocks of soap one after another in the mold G, and'immediately strikesthe pedal 8, depressing the plunger and forcing the die 5 into the mold.In this operation the attendant is required to get the thumb and onefinger in line between the descendingdie and the edge of the mold; andas the movements are rapidly executed, he sometimes carelessly fails toremove the fingers until they are caught by the descending die, in whichcase they will either be cut off or mangled. To guard against this, Iemploy the safety device illustrated in the drawing, and which mayconsist, as there shown, of a rock-shaft 9, secured in suitable bearingsupon the bracket 3, and carrying fenders 10, rigidly secured thereon.The rock-shaft has a rigid arm 11, and a link 12 is .pivoted thereto atone end, its other end being connected to the plunger 4 in anyconvenient manner, so that, as the plunger begins to descend, the armwill be rocked in its bearings and the fenders will be swung upward inthe arc of a circle, indicated by dotted lines of the drawing, in timeto force the hand of the operator out of the way before the descendingdie reaches the upper edge of the mold.

I do not limit my invention to the specific means above shown anddescribed for operating the fenders, as it is evident that therock-shaft may be connected to and operated by the operating-leverinstead of by the plunger, or said fenders may be connected to andoperated by other parts of the machinery with which they are designed tobe used. It is also obvious that these safety appliances may be adaptedto printing-presses, papercutters, and other machines of like character.

I claim A safety appliance for stamping or other machines having areciprocating plunger, comprising, in combination with said plunger, arock-shaft provided with fenders, a rock-arm rigidly secured to therock-shaft, and a link pivotally connecting the rock-shaft arm with theplunger, whereby, when the plunger descends, the fenders are operated toforce the hands of an attendant out of the path of the plunger,substantially as described.

THOMAS J. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

O. O. LINTHIOUM, T. D. BUTLER.

